Bulgaria was at its strongest when the rulers were educated and the people enlightened, developing a strong spirituality, literature and culture. This was said by Vice President Margarita Popova in a speech to participants and guests at the celebration “Bulgaria: State of Spirit and Literature”, which was held in the European Parliament in Brussels under the patronage of President Rosen Plevneliev.
During her working visit to Brussels, Vice President Popova was guest of honour at last night’s event, which was attended by students from the Bulgarian Diaspora in Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia, Macedonia and their counterparts from Bulgaria, as well as Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament, Rainer Wieland and Othmar Karas, European Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, MPs from all political groups in the Bulgarian Parliament, diplomats, Bulgarian officials in European institutions and representatives of the Bulgarian community in Belgium.
This celebration is symbolic in that it occurs in the heart of Europe on the eve of the Bulgarian national holiday, March 3, the Vice President said in her speech. She emphasised that the creation of the Bulgarian alphabet was a state-building move that had given letters, spirituality and culture to about 300 million people. Vice President Popova recalled the contribution of the Bulgarian leaders to the development of the Bulgarian spirit and culture in the early Middle Ages. Even then, she said, Bulgaria, in the geographical bounds of today’s Europe, had managed to create a model of a modern country – with educated rulers with an enlightened people, with its scholars and spirituality, with disciples who had toured from city to city and told of the letters, of spirituality and culture. "This legacy, arising, keeps making a nation proud and rich,” the Vice President emphasised.
In her address, Margarita Popova said that "gestures like the one that happened recently in the Netherlands", the setting up of a website against EU citizens from Eastern Europe, were unacceptable. She described the establishment of such a site as "an affront to the Bulgarian citizens”.
“In Bulgaria such a thing would be impossible because of the strong respect we have for the Dutch people, who have helped us a lot and continue to help in many areas, including in justice and home affairs,” she said.
“Let us put to one side the things that trouble us in our common European home and for which the Bulgarian people - proud and hardworking – are not responsible," the Vice President. Speaking to the Bulgarian media in Brussels, she said that the Presidency was already playing a major role in improving the image of Bulgarian citizens in Europe and European institutions. She said that in the European family there are things that should not be done and concealed, because through the Bulgarian media, Bulgaria has the opportunity to speak and be heard.
In his address to participants and guests at the event, European Parliament Vice President Rainer Wieland emphasised that Bulgaria had managed to promote its national identity in a way that should be emulated. He said that it was important for each country to show its identity and to be acquainted with those of other EU countries, and Bulgaria had once again shown the diversity of its cultural traditions.
"I believe in the European project and hope that soon other countries that use the Cyrillic alphabet as their own, will join the European Union,” European Commissioner for International Co-operation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgiev said in her speech.
To celebrate March 1, Vice President Popova gave martenitsi to all the students who attended and participated in the programme of the Bulgarian event in the European Parliament.
At the end of her working visit to the Belgian capital, which concludes today, the Vice President will meet with Kristalina Georgieva and her team.